My tips for living happy, healthy, and green!

Archive for August, 2010

I am starting to research and find as many coupons and deals for organic and healthy products. I will be placing links to great sites and post about special deals I find. I hope this helps. We can all use help trying to live healthy and green on a budget.

My garden has been producing a lot of Zucchini and one of my favorite things to do it so make Zucchini Bread/Muffins.

Here is my favorite recipe:

Applesauce-Zucchini Bread

1 c. Unsweetened Applesauce

1/2 c. Sugar

1/2 c. Brown Sugar

3 Eggs (slightly beaten)

2 t. Baking Soda

1/2 t. Baking Powder

2 t. Vanilla

2 c. Grated Zucchini

3 c. Whole Wheat Flour

Mix eggs, sugars, applesauce and vanilla together. In a separate bowl stir together all dry ingredients and add to applesauce mixture. Squeeze excess water from grated zucchini and stir into batter. Pour into greased and floured loaf or muffin pans.

My garden has been producing a ton of tomatoes! A great way to store them is to blanch them and then freeze them. This is easy to do and doesn’t require any items that you don’t already have in your kitchen. This way you can save the tomatoes for making fresh salsa, spaghetti sauce, and chili throughout the fall and winter!

Items Needed:

Large pan of boiling water

Large bowl of ice water

Slotted Spoon

Cutting board

Knife

Strainer

Bowl for compost

Freezer bags

Step 1:

Boil water and place tomatoes in for 30-45 seconds, I usually put about 5 in at a time.

Step 2:

Using slotted spoon move tomatoes from boiling water to the bowl of ice water

Step 3:

Peel off tomatoes skin and cut tomatoes into quarters

Step 4:

Remove seeds and squeeze out excess liquid, then place tomatoes into strainer

Step 5:

Place stained tomatoes into freezer bags and freeze

Tip: leave tomatoes in stainer for a couple of hours or overnight to drain out all excess liquid

Now you have tomatoes ready to thaw and use. Also the seeds and peels are great to put into your compost.

Making your own baby wipes is a great way to save money and it only takes a few minutes.You probably have everything you need already.

Start with a roll of paper towels….I use Viva (less then $4 for 2 rolls)

Cut the roll of paper towels in half with a bread knife (now you have 4 rolls for wipes)

In a bowl combine:

1 C Water

1 T baby wash

1/2 T Olive Oil

1 t lavender or tea tree oil (optional)

Pour mixture over one of your four rolls in a tupperwear container with a lid. Let sit for 10 minutes and then flip over and let sit for another 10 minutes. Now pull your roll out and remove the center cardboard and you have a roll of wipes, store in a air tight container.

My next project is to learn how to sew my own cloth diapers…that will be a real money saver! I can’t believe it costs me over $10 for a 30 pack of newborn diapers!

1.BASIC H Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate: I use this product all over my house to clean pretty much any surface. It can be used as an all-purpose cleaner, for windows and mirros, and as a degreaser! All of that and 1 16oz bottle can make up to 48 gallons of all-purpose cleaner!

2. B-Complex: This vitamin provides you with all 8 essential B vitamins! I always feel so much better when I take my b-complex in the morning, if the day goes by and I really feel like I am dragging it is usually because I have forgotton to take my B-Complex.

3. Vita-Lea (with or without Iron): Another great daily vitamin that has 23 essential vitamins and minerals. We have the with iron formula for me and the without iron formula for my husband.

4. All of the Shakleebaby Products: Diaper Rash Cream, Soothing Lotion, Gentle Wash, and Massage Oil…I love them all. They make my little guy smell and feel amazing! I would not use anything else on his precious skin.

5. Energizing Soy Protein: I prefer the natural vanilla, but it also comes in creamy cocoa for all of you chocalate lovers. This products provides a great boost of energy to get you through the day. Its great to mix with a glass of orange juice or add to a smoothy!

6. Enfuselle Eye Treatment: This eye cream is paraben free and provides your undereye skin with anti-aging botanicals and vitamin C. I love the cream because it reduces my dark circles and puffieness.

Since my last post about the Shakleebaby products I have had the chance to use the other 2 items (massage oil and diaper rash cream) and they are awesome!

After traveling my little guy had his first diaper rash and was not too happy about it. I used the Shakleebaby diaper rash cream and in a day the rash was gone and I had a happy baby boy again!

I have used the massage oil a few times now. When he is fussy in the evening before bed I massage the oil on his belly, legs, and arms while he is nursing. The oil has a calming effect and makes his skin small and feel wonderful.

I love the Shakleebaby products, my next purchase will be the Shakleebaby multivitamin and multimineral powder…but I have to wait until the little guy is 6 months old. Once I get it and start using it I will give an update on how it works.

2. Cholesterol Reduction Complex – Here is a way to lower your cholesterol the natural way! 1 in 3 American adults have high cholesterol! Shaklee Cholesterol Reduction Complex is a proprietary formulation with clinically proven ingredients that help prevent the absorption of cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol. It’s made with a powerful blend of sterols and stanols, which are found naturally in plants, fruits, vegetables and grains, and these ingredients have been shown in more than 80 clinical studies to significantly reduce LDL cholesterol levels.

If you are one of the many people who need to lower there cholesterol click here.

3. Vita – D3 – As I am sure you have heard there is a lot of new research to show the importance of getting enough vitamin D. It offers a many benefits including supporting healthy heart function, immune and bone health. But, depending on where you live, the time of year, and your skin color—you may be among the many Americans who aren’t getting enough of this essential nutrient. Boost your level of vitamin D with Shaklee Vita-D3. The perfect choice for overall health and well-being, Vita-D3 provides 1,000 IU of high potency vitamin D3 to help your body thrive!